Here’s part of what Palestinian attorney and human rights activist Raja Shehadeh said to the BBC about the film: “[The world of Ajami is] a city of drive-by shootings, drugs, and racketeering, where men, young and old, are shot or stabbed to death on the slightest provocation and shady sheikhs in Arab dress sort out the blood money in what is supposed to pass as tribal justice. … the unrelieved blood-letting … leaves us in no doubt that the Jewish citizens of Israel exist in a jungle infested by bloodthirsty, uncivilized Arabs who live inside and outside its borders exactly as Israeli propagandists claim.”

In advance of the Oscar ceremony the film’s Palestinian co-writer/director/editor, Scandar Copti, created a stir by saying, “”I am not Israel’s national team and do not represent her.” Yet, he had already taken money from the Israeli government and much damage to Palestinians has already been done. Here’s how a couple of Zionists saw the controversy:

Consul General of Israel Jacob Dayan: “Tomorrow no one will remember what [Copti] said …They’ll remember that this is an Israeli movie and that it will help make Israel a little stronger by reinforcing the relationship between Israel and Hollywood.”

Israeli-American choreographer Barak Marshall: “The film represents Israel exactly … It touches on almost all of the issues we face in Israeli society and it shows how broad the public debate is; that someone who is from Israel can negate his very connection to the state shows how wonderfully strong and alive our political culture is.”

The public screenings of Ajami present Palestine solidarity activists with an opportunity to educate film-goers: